to Berlin with love.

[runningred]

 From here

Jay opens the door into a quiet back alley that could belong to any city - the lingering scent of garbage and the miss-matched colours where graffiti has been washed off or painted over. In the mid-afternoon chill of early spring, he takes Emcee's hand and leads him out into the street, pocketing the key. The sunlight is thin but warm and picks out the green swell of buds in the branches. The tree lined avenue is quiet this time of day. Not lacking in people but without rush, a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Comments

[runningred]

He runs a hand through his hair, that slightly shy look on his face. "Actually, it has a lot to do with us. Jay bought Wonderland three years ago, to give Alice and I somewhere to be. We... our story is kind of complicated. Jason is one of the few people who knows all of it."

He looks over at Emcee. "There aren't many who would understand."

[i_am_your_host]

His brow knitted, he turns to look at him, shaking his head a little.

"What do you mean?"

[runningred]

"Jason told us he knows you from an bar in a pocket dimension so I'm hoping that means you're... more open-minded when it comes to... unusual circumstances?"

There's a note of hopeful apology in Jared's voice, running a hand through his hair again in nervousness. It's clear he wants to confide in Emcee but is worried Emcee might judge him. Or worse, recoil from him.

[i_am_your_host]

He blinks at the phrase pocket dimension.

And he stares up at him for a moment, speechless.

"You know about--?"

Blinking rapidly, he frowns, shaking his head again, then nodding. Several revelations in a row can be disorienting.

"Yes-- I mean-- well, yes, of course, I suppose..."

[runningred]

Jared can see he's rushing too much at Emcee all at once as backs off a step, leaning one the rail. "He asked us to help make arrangements for this," he features to the penthouse. "He figured we'd be the right people to help you settle in. If you chose to stay, of course."

He bites his lip. "This mess is kind of our fault. I don't think Jason was planning to dump this on you all at once but... Alice and I really wanted to meet you. That's why she followed you to that store yesterday."

He lets the other part, the part about themselves rest for the moment, really not wanting to freak Emcee out.

[i_am_your_host]

Yesterday. Yesterday? Was it yesterday? Emcee can't think straight.

He takes a deep breath, gripping the railing.

God, what is he even doing here.

"Then why couldn't he have just fucking told me?" he snaps.

"I can think of a dozen perfect times when he could have told me, and he had to wait for the last fucking minute? Now? When I thought we were all going to have a fucking-- fuckfest in this penthouse, which I allegedly own now? Jesus fucking Christ! All right, fine, I can understand how he wanted it to be a surprise, but goddamn it, I didn't want to hear it like that."

Tears are stinging his eyes.

"I'm sorry, darling, I shouldn't be yelling at you. I should be yelling at Jason," he shouts over his shoulder at the glass window, just in case Jay can hear how upset he is.

[runningred]

Jared lets Emcee vent, staying where he is but holding out a hand to steady Emcee. If he wants it. "Jason's not entirely to blame for that. Alice set him up. She knows he has rules about having sex the people he's responsible for. She enjoys pushing people to see how they'll react. She's... pretty upset with herself for hurting you."

[i_am_your_host]

"He still could have said something!" he says, stepping back out of reach.

"Even if she did set him up, he could have dropped the game at any time instead of dragging it out. Alice doesn't know me. And that's fine. But Jay does. And he should have known better than to pull that bullshit with me."

[runningred]

Jared drops his hand and steps back. He bites his lip and nods. "I understand."

He runs his hand through his hair, that nervous gesture again. "Alice and I will go, get out of your hair but... I wonder, could we talk again sometime? Before, you know, you leave? There are things I want to know, about us. I don't want to... hide anything from you. I'd-" he bites his lip again. "I'd like very much to be your friend."

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee folds his arms around himself.

He looks up at Jared, a little askance, his brow furrowed, but most of the ire has gone out of his eyes.

He doesn't really know what to say to that.

"I'm leaving today," he says plainly.

There is obviously something he wants to add.

"But-- but I might be back. And of course, we can talk."

[runningred]

Jared nods his thanks and turns to go, stopping at the door. "I'm sorry. I really am. So it Alice."

He slides the door close behind himself, leaving Emcee alone.

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee silently watches him go.

And then he sits down heavily on one of the couches and pulls his feet up, hugging his knees to his chest.

What is he doing here.

[runningred]

Jay is sitting on the floor of the balcony on the other side of the apartment, in much the same position. He toys with the beer he grabbed for a long time, not drinking it at all and trying to work out what to do.

And ignoring the tears forming and rolling down his cheek.

[i_am_your_host]

After a long while, Emcee decides he should just go back to Milliways.

He unfolds himself and eases up off the couch. Entering through the master bedroom, he looks around, finding the apartment seemingly empty.

Jay can't have gone back without him.

Annoyed now that he has to search for him, he steps out onto the balcony.

And there he is. On the floor. Is he crying?

Somehow that makes him angry again.

He steps over to him.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

[runningred]

Jay doesn't look up, rubbing the back of his eyes with the heel of his palm. "That I'm an idiot. That I'm so sorry."

He feels his voice break and fights not to let it out. He swallows and moves to take a sip of the now warm beer but stops himself. "I should have told you before that I owned Wonderland. I should have said no to Alice's suggestion before we got back here. I'm sorry. I have no excuse."

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee huffs a sigh and crosses his arms.

"You're right, you are an idiot and you have no excuse," he says.

"You told me to believe you and trust you that nothing was out of the ordinary when I started to suspect that something was up. You didn't even joke about it. You said it so sincerely. You with your innocent face and your kisses. So I told you I believed you. Because why wouldn't I? And then, and then, came the big reveal at possibly the worst moment during the entire time we've been here. As the kids say these days, what the fuck? No, really, darling, what the fuck? Yes, it was a surprise, but you could have told me that at any time and it still would have been a surprise. Was there a point to keeping it a secret?"

[runningred]

Jay takes his time to answer, trying to choose his words carefully. "I should have told you before we-" he breathes out slowly. "I swore I'd never put anyone in my employment in a compromising position. I've known Alice and Jared a long time but when it came to it, I couldn't."

He shakes his head. "I wanted you to see Wonderland, to decide for yourself if you liked it. I didn't want to put pressure on you, to make you feel you had like it. But that's not an excuse for what I did."

[i_am_your_host]

Emcee rakes a hand through his hair.

"What's between you and Alice and Jared is between you and Alice and Jared," he says, also choosing his words carefully.

Jared had tried to tell him something; not that Emcee wouldn't listen, it just wasn't the right time.

"And of course I liked Wonderland, I fucking loved it. Why would I be under pressure to like it?"

[runningred]

"I know. And I should have been upfront with you about that. They really like you."

Jay looks up at him, eyes still red. "I thought if you know I owned it, you might feel I was trying to trap you with it. Offering up another present that's too extravagant." Like the penthouse, for example.

[i_am_your_host]

For a moment, Emcee isn't sure what Jay had just said or what he meant.

He straightens up, as he'd been leaning down a little while speaking to him. And he looks at him, blinking.

"Another--? ...What?"

[runningred]

"I don't want to push you into thinking you had to work at Wonderland. Or that... I'd set you up for a job. I'd like-" he catches himself again, choosing his words with care. "I hoped you want to but I didn't want you to feel as if I'd pushed you into it."

"Alice and Jared have been managing the place for a while. And they've been doing a great job. I know Jared wants to go back to school, to pursue his talents as a chef and that will mean stepping back a bit. And what I do is... so uncertain. I guess I hoped someday the three of you could take over, as co-owners. If that's how things turn out."

[i_am_your_host]

With each sentence, Emcee feels as if he's going to pass out.

He covers his face with his hands, mutters "Oh, fuck, Jay," and plops down onto the nearest couch. He sits there, rubbing his face in his palms, running his fingers through his hair.

He doesn't know what to do with this. He really doesn't.

"Is this-- is this what you wanted to talk about with them? When we came in?"

[runningred]

"Mostly, yeah." He nods. "I suspect Alice and Jared want... to confide in you. To tell you more about themselves." He leans his head back against the wall. "They've come from a bad situation too and think, I hope you'll be able to help each other here."

He rubs his face and puts the bottle down, away from himself. "I know I've fucked this up royally and I'm so incredibly sorry but please, don't give up in this because of me."

[i_am_your_host]

Leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, he picks his head up out of his hands and laces his fingers at his chin. He stares at the Berlin skyline. Not recognizing it, but wanting to. He so very much wants to see this as home.

"I don't know what to say," he murmurs, still staring straight ahead. He sighs.

"I am just-- completely overwhelmed by the idea. Overwhelmed and flattered, quite honestly, that you would think I was capable of running a place like Wonderland. I'm not certain that I am. The thought terrifies me, actually. ...Thank you, though."

A slight pause. "I did tell Jared that I would come back to talk to him and Alice."

[runningred]

"I've dropped a lot on you all at once. I'm sorry."

He sighs, staring out at the city too. "If you need to go back to the Bar, I understand. If you take something out of the wallet, it should act as a key to let you back in when you want to, without claiming the key to the apartment."

"I'll give you some space." He pushes his white forelock back. "I should go back to London. I have things I need to finish there."